They've only gone and done it again.

You can pick and pick all you like, but some things are just beyond comprehension.

So in lieu of spending many more hours attempting to get to the root cause of our fundamental inability to win games, this week's match report comes to you in the form of some ridiculously crude schoolboy drawings that I done.

Prints for your fridge available on request... 

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Here's a fact for you: If Championship matches only lasted 70 minutes, Coventry City would be in 13th place, not languishing in 24th.

Okay, that's a bare-faced fib. But given the outrageous amount of games, goals and points we've surrended this year, it feels like something that could be true. Blackpool was yet another case of what-might-have-been. It's obscenely late/early, but I should be happy to be up writing, oozing with positivity as the Sky Blues are finally off bottom, safe in the knowledge that we could even be a single point from safety by the end of the weekend.

The wallies couldn't manage it though, and it's now quite clear that if we're going to get out of this mess (let's be fair, we've given ourselves a chance over the last month), we're going to do it the hard way. I mean, come off it, boys. There's only so long you can blame bad luck and lack of finances for what happens on the pitch - especially when you find yourself in winning positions as often as we do.

As I'm sure you've all noticed, we've actually been doing better of late. The away form continues to be despicable, mind, and no matter how close we come to grabbing that elusive win, we find a way of fannying it up before the finishing line. Blackpool the other night was surely the most staggering example of this. I thought Crystal Palace was bad, but we shouldn't have thrown those points away on Tuesday. I'm not unrealistic. This season, I know we're not going to win every game. But losing in the manner we did was a killer.

No fan'll ever get used to the feeling, but in Coventry City, we support a club that's doing its very best to make the emotion of having points snatched at the death, a familiar one.

Once I'd settled down a bit from the swearing and generic V-signs, this horrible habit of ours got me thinking. If we weren't so useless at holding on to points, just how many could we have this season by now? It's a difficult one to quantify, as there's so much ebb and flow and uniqueness about each game. All I know though is that we've been ahead loads, thrown away leads loads, and generally fallen asleep for the final 5 minutes.. loads.

So I did some counting and came up with a little graph which shows how many points we would have, if matches finished at different points during games. The graph below shows that ebb and flow I was talking about, but probably more tellingly, shows the trouble we're causing ourselves through our inherent naffness in the last quarter of an hour.

Ideally, you need a boss who'll anticipate the issues before they cause you a sustained nuisance, and prevent them from happening. Failing that, you'd certainly hope the boss is able to recognise when there's a problem developing (such as tired legs), and react to that threat accordingly. Thorn actually did this well against Middlesbrough, and I praised him for it. He seemed worried about changing things and negatively affecting the game the against Blackpool though - you can't afford to be scared as a boss.

We need someone who is positive and able to make timely and appropriate decisions. Hoping and praying that the opposition won't score isn't a strategy for a football team, and certainly not for us; it's a recipe for tears and mucky language. 

We hear after each game how we're in a false position and how wonderfully we play for large portions of matches. Shame they can't stop at 86 minutes, isn't it..

Knowing that we could be eleven points better off makes our position at the bottom very difficult to take. That's a tremendous amount to be surrendering, and something we're going to rue far quicker than we'd hoped, if we don't get our act together.

Get a bloody grip.

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As the January window nears its conclusion and the madness of deadline day looms upon us, it seems an appropriate juncture to journey back a few months to August and assess the impact of our only signing of that ill-fated period: Cody "please save us" McDonald.

It seems crazy that this is actually quite a risky post, given the news that we were already willing to sell him to Bournemouth earlier this month. But it's 1:00am, and I'm going to take a punt that he won't be sold by the morning.. 

Anyway, it was 31 August 2011. The usual anxiety had set in amongst Sky Blues fans as we prepared for yet another window to slam shut in our relentlessly moany faces. We'd endured a horrid summer, followed by the most despicable of season starts, and there seemed to be a very real chance that we were going to go an entire off-season without acquiring a single outfield player. Not a huge problem if your squad is already terrific; a bloody nightmare if you've let half your squad go during the same period. (I want to keep this Cody-focussed, so I'll skip over giving thoughts about the reasons behind that lack of activity.)

Our main target Adam Le Fondre had turned us down flat (apparently), in favour of a move to perennial promotion candidates Reading. The rumours continued to fly - each one more baseless than the last. Some, such as McDonald, had potential and gave us hope, but most were proclaiming a Sky Blue return for Roymond Wegerle, and things equally as ludicrious.

While relatively minor in the grand scheme of the Championship, the deadline day arrival of Mr McDonald both shocked and delighted us. Most City fans were already resigned to the mid-September scramble for loans that was to follow, if that. But a new striker had joined the ranks, the YouTube clips were soon doing the rounds, and all the signs indicated we'd picked ourselves a nimble and versatile front man to help us from mire.

Things haven't quite gone to plan for young Cody so far, though.

We're prone to snap judgements of players (just ask Kevin Kyle), and many, myself included, had very quickly built up a picture of what McDonald was going to bring. Looking back, desperation and the overwhelming average-ness of Roy O'Donovan had a hell of a lot to do with it.

Unfortunately, we under-estimated the impact the lack of a purposeful pre-season has on a player. This left him playing catch up in his opening games, and Ipswich aside (where he missed a glut of chances), he rarely got a sniff.

I'm not daft enough to think that I can persuade you all to think he's played well so far. He really hasn't. But there have been signs from Cody, albeit it briefly, that he does have the attributes to succeed. His movement in his first two games, and his impact and pace in the draw away at Doncaster gave reason to be hopeful.

Injuries and lack of match practice appear to have conspired against him, and my worry now is what accepting a bid to sell him so early on, is going to do for his long-term prospects at the Ricoh. The noises suggest that we're on the look out for another striker before the day's out tomorrow, which is a positive move for the team, although with Platt, Nimely and potentially even Eastwood above old McDonald in the pecking order, I do wonder where this leaves Cody in Thorn's plans.

I certainly don't think we should give up on him just yet. There's a poll above - let me know what you think.

I'd get a move on if I were you..

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Thorn's been chatting about Deadline day. Could be interesting..

We are really working hard and looking to bring some new faces in. If we could get a couple of players in, that would be great.

I am trying to get players in but I understand that there is some interest in our players, a few players who are currently on the fringes of the side and they want to play football.

I think that would need to happen before I would be able to bring any new faces in. The ones I like and want to happen are there to be done and are bubbling away nicely.

Attempting to decipher this, you'd imagine Roy O'Donovan to be one of those who is keen to get away. With Nimely joining, and the potential for another forward, it's surely going to be a struggle for Royboy to get much of a look in. Given how short on numbers we've been this season and he's still been unable to get much of a sniff, I can't see him pushing the first choice particularly.

As for the others "on the fringes", it's a little difficult to call given the injuries and what-not. Eastwood's only just made his return to the squad and I personally want to see more of him if he's sorted his fatness out - even if it will save the club a load in wages.

As for figuring out incoming players, my only advice would be to ignore Twitter, and anything retweeted by Stuart Linnell. NORWICH ARE NOT GOING TO BUY CLIVE PLATT.

In other news

This lazy/useless research by the BBC, is once again, pathetic.

Clive Platt is on loan and made his debut last week eh? What a bunch of dipsticks. 

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It's Turmoil Week on that terrific Football League blog The Two Unfortunates (not for the site itself - Lord no - that's just had a revamp and is going from strength to stength). Port Vale and Portsmouth have already had their public dissections, and today it's the turn of Coventry City to be brilliantly analysed by Ian Palmer (@iancpalmer).

You might know Ian from his regular pieces on Coventry City Banter, or the recent interview he did with Lee Carsley. He knows his stuff.

This latest piece gives a tremendously perceptive and insightful report into the Sisu realm for the outside world to digest, and is especially timely given the recent efforts from all corners to publicise our plight and the failings of the current regime.

Have a looksy.

Read Ian's article on the Two Unfortunates Website - Turmoil Week: Coventry City

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It's kind of right, mind you. Three positional changes in the starting line up, three goals for the first time in about 3000 years, and three valuable points have brought us much closer to all the other useless sods fighting against Championship relegation.

To stretch the made-up importance of the number three a little further, that now leaves our form at three wins out of five, and more notably, three home wins on the trot. Given our away tally thus far, this points collection at the Ricoh is doing enough to keep us competitive.

So, ta for your importance this weekend number 'three' - marvellous effort, there.

Anyway, ignore that pig's ear of an intro. I trust everyone enjoyed Saturday as much as me?

From the moment I entered the ground and was greeted by 400 Richard Keoghs (and six Gary McSheffreys), to the evening's Football League show where we received significantly longer than the usual ten second highlights; good old City actually kept me smiley all day long. Everything went right for once, which given our standing in the table, it's clear that hasn't happened in a very long time.

I don't really think there can be much argument about any of the key decisions during the match (contrary to the objections Tony Mowbray has managed to conjure up). If Manish, Steve, and just about everyone else at the Football League show reckon they were right, that'll do me. The Boro boss has a different view, blaming the referee's 'man management' for the red, and questioning why he let the heavy stuff go in the opening 15 minutes. The alternatives are to start booking immediately, or to let the heavy stuff continue all game long. As far as I could see, he showed some leniency to begin, then when the tackles became excessive, he took a stand. Just happens two of those occasions were by the same player. 

Mowbray, who actually turns 103 this year, has spent all week getting on my wick with his condescending manner. Family roots mean I've always had a slight fondness towards Middlesbrough, so I don't mean them any ill-will; it's very much Grandpa Tony who winds me up. 

Enjoyable

Anyway, I digress. The performance itself, regardless of the red card, was an enjoyable and solid one. Thorn made a few key changes in bringing Nimely and Herman straight into the starting line up, whilst removing the once again mis-firing Carl Baker and dropping Gary McSheffrey back into that floating role. This move particularly, paid the most dividends, as we were able to integrate the uber-impressive Nimely into the team without impacting too much on the relatively good form of McSheffrey. We all know what a fragile soul he can be - the worry was that dropping him out of the front line would cause him to go back to regular Gary. Luckily, this certainly wasn't the case, and with Clive Platt having his most effective game of the season, for the first time in a long time, our attacking unit was the most impressive throughout the side.

Key to all of this was the exuberance and pace of debutant Alex Nimely. The Manchester City loanee settled immediately, and to see a young player's confidence grow so visibly throughout a game was really quite pleasing, I'm sure you'll agree.

The boys had to overcome a shaky start before the goodness arrived, though. Sammy Clingan appeared extremely rusty for most of the opening exchanges, and Hreidersson (who being new, will be immune from slaggery for a couple of games at least), treated us to few De Zeuww-ish moments while he re-acquainted himself to the pace of the Championship. They both turned it around though, and became more assured as the game wore on.

The opening goal was a combination of invention, pace, luck and confidence. It's not often we attempt a one two around the box, but a quick interchange with Nimely allowed McSheffrey to burst past the Boro defence into the area. His touch was a strange one, as the ball to him had a tasty zip to it, but by luck or design it moved him into a great position where he was able to confidently stroke it home for his third goal in three at home. Nicely.

Turning point

No question the turning point came with the two bookings which resulted in Kevin Thomson's dismissal in the first half. The first was a pretty saucy tackle which fell just short of sending Cyrus Christie into orbit. Loathed am I to use the phrase "modern climate", as I pride myself on not being Alan Shearer, but you just don't get away with those any more. The second was probably the more contentious of the two, as it was one of those when the player's just trying to block the clearance. But having just been booked for rash challenge, the sensible in the profession would try and keep their nose clean for a while. Thomson decided against this approach and threw himself in again, and paid the consequences.

As always, there was a concern that we'd be on the receiving end of a ref trying to 'even things up' after Gary Deegan was booked in the first half, so he was sensibly removed by Thorn at the interval and was replaced by birthday boy David Bell. This was to prove to be a shrewd move by Forny - something he's been accused of lacking lately - and was just one of a string of sensible and well-timed decisions by him.

The second half was where the fun really began, as we were able take advantage of the extra man and grab two goals in seven minutes; 2-0 coming thanks to a terrific leap by Nimely which looped over the line according to the linesman, and despite the best karate kid efforts of the Boro defender. The third gave us a glimpse of Nimely's flair as he sent Bell to the by-line with look-away reverse pass - the kind of thing Robbie Keane used to do - with the ball eventually being turned into his own net by Bates, to the great relief of Clive Platt who had just missed his chance entirely.

Delirious

Needless to say, this sent us all delirious, and it must have done something to our defenders too as they lost all shape and resistance to allow McDonald to nip in and give the away fans a reason to take an interest again. Joe Murphy, having been in the form of his life over the Christmas period (apparently), crowned a pretty unconvincing individual display by somehow managing to avoid being hit by McDonald's point blank shot. Think Vince Vaughn in Dodgeball. 

But the comeback didn't materialise, and we were able to see out the match with relative ease, and could have even managed a couple of more, with Nimely's impressive take and shot from Bell's curling ball, probably the closest to making it 4-1.

Julio Arca compounded the Boro fans miserable afternoon with a rash lunge on Sammy Clingan which found him come nowhere near the ball, or the man for that matter, but the intent and lunacy of the tackle was enough to see him receive a straight red. Not even the curious protestations of Clingan (clearly because he knew the game was over - I see you, Sammy) could spare Arca, and City, from the "nine-men" headlines. To the passing reader this'll present a false impression of events, but given the difficulty we've had in the past to capitalise on a man advantage, I think it's fair to say this was as strong a performance as we've put in this season. 

I'm also especially happy to see the back of the three-goals-in-a-game hoodoo which has blighted us for so long. That was getting embarrassing.

Speaking of embarrassing, do spare a final thought for young Cyrus Christie who managed to give the entire JSB section a front-row view of his bottom as he rolled over in the opening moments of the game. Poor lad refused to go near that corner for a good ten minutes afterwards, going some way to explaining the barrage of attacks we had to withstand in that time.

Who needs complex tactical analysis, eh?

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Whilst tidying out the blog, I stumbled across a few interviews with various Sky Blues personnel that I'd pointed out over the years. I find the sequence of videos below a staggering indication of just how much Sisu have buggered up our club, and in such a short period of time. They're all from BBC Late Kick Off's annual piece on Coventry, and I'll warn you now - they're so full of naivety, false hope and blatant fibs, it may well make you sob. 

We have three contrasting discussions: 2010 was with a deeply pragmatic and generally miserable Ray Ranson; then 2011's attempt (actually a year ago this week) was a worryingly upbeat interview with former boss Adrian Boothroyd.

And then if that's not enough to ruin your day, we finish with Richard Keys' recent natter from earlier this week, in case you missed it.

If you get the time, I'd urge you to watch them (probably won't work on your mobile). In chronological order too. 

Go on, just watch them.

I think the line that sticks out the most is this beauty from Ray Ranson in 2010:

I will leave this football club in a far better position than I found it.

God almighty.

Monday, 22 February 2010 - Raymond Ranson

Coventry chairman Ray Ranson outlines Sky Blues' vision - BBC Website

Monday, 17 January 2011 - Adrian Boothroyd

Aidy Boothroyd's ambition for Coventry City - BBC Website

Monday, 16 January 2012 - Richard Keys

Coventry City on the brink, says Richard Keys - BBC Website

I'll cheer up in my next post, honest I will. I have plenty of photos to share from Saturday of the back of Gary Hoffman's head. It was ever such a laugh having him jump up and get in my way every single time the ball moved forward.

I'm going to specifically request to be nowhere near him next time, the jack-in-the-box.

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It's the return of BBC's Late Kick Off. Regular Sky Blues commenter Richard Keys appears on it tonight, but the interview is already available online if want to have a look. He's very forceful in his views that Sisu have to sell. There's also a bit of back-tracking from the premature statements he made over Christmas, but once again, he's adamant that Hoffman and his investors are keen to get this deal done, and for Sisu to allow it to happen.

Watch the full Late Kick Off interview with Richard Keys - BBC Website

Can't watch the video? Here are the key points:

• He describes the club as “close to terminal”.
• Says the club used to have a place of stature within English football. Now, "we have been reduced to a laughing stock".
• Sees the biggest problem being that the club doesn’t own the arena (yes, that's an obvious statement). There's no income.
• As he understands, next year’s season ticket money has been spent already.
• Debts are still accruing at a frightening rate.
• He doesn't understand why Sisu wish to continue in their ownership of the club. Can't understand why they didn’t do the deal in August, and is amazed that the same people who were at the table then, are still interested. "Now is the time to do a deal".
• "Gary can provide an initial injection of finance". He knows Gary’s backers to be football people, good people, solid people. "Gary’s solid".
• Centre to the bid will be the purchase or part purchase of the arena. The investors will be in a position to begin the purchase, if not immediately, then at least start the process swiftly.
• There was a very good meeting in August, but Ken was briefing against the bidders the moment he left the room. Ken said that he could sort this out.
• "They [Sisu] have turned it around, in fairness to them. If they'd had a game plan which was to ruin a football club [...] they have turned it around".
• Gary’s not in a position to reveal investors. They’ve been let down before, and they can’t risk that again.
• "Gary’s doing everything and more he can, to bring about a situation that would please Coventry City supporters. That may not happen. You can’t blink and expect that it’ll all happen in that moment."
• Gary’s doing the right thing by keeping a low profile, but what he can’t do is promise. Caution is understandable.
• Sisu know full well who the prospective investors are. 

It's yet more talk and little action, but it's insight into the current state of play, or at least the Hoffman perspective. The one thing I would say is that it sounds like there hasn't been a bid so far this winter. And given that we've just sold one of our biggest assets - one you'd assume the new investors would have been keen on keeping - you do wonder just how close we really are to a deal being done?

A lot of work lies ahead, I suspect.

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See the full gallery on Posterous

As I explained prior to the game, I chose not to join the protest. Instead, I went to the match, saw the goal, saw us lose, and came away pretty annoyed that we allowed the game to peter out. 

I wandered past those protesting on my way in though, and was certainly hit by the feeling of solidarity as I saw the banners and supporters clambering around the Jimmy Hill statue. I didn't hang around too long though, I'm afraid. Given my inherent aversion to chants that die a death after one round and make me cringe, I had to shuffle following one-too-many single line renditions of "we want Sisu out". It's a medical condition, honest.

I kid, of course. Yes, protests have always been a smidge pantomime for my liking, but the purpose, feeling and message came across loud and clear. Well done to you who stuck to your guns and hung around for the 15 minutes and beyond. I haven't got it in me to go all the way to the Ricoh then risk missing a goal - it's a seldom seen event as it is. I've only once been to the loo during the game for this very reason, and even that was during a Gunnarsson haircut drama so I had plenty of time.

Anyway, I've said it already, but I just really love the football and that's why I didn't get involved. It'd be great to know what it was like outside the stadium when the goal went in though? Was there a mass rush to the turnstiles? You don't really notice a swelling of people in a crowd of 9000.

Now, if the next piece of supporter solidarity actually involves going to the game, I'm all over it. It seems the Save our City crew are planning for the Reading game at the Madejski (that's Mad-Day-Skee, not Madge-Esk-Skee) with the idea to get a giant following down there. That's certainly more my style - I want to be cheering the lads on. I can show my disdain for those in charge the rest of the week.

Notes from the match

It's a little late to go through the game in great detail, but a few observations:

• Good first half, all things considered. It's a shame you guys outside weren't able to see it, because we deserved the lead and were stroking the ball around nicely. There was a definite confidence about us, and we were pressing extremely high up the pitch, forcing them (and especially their keeper) into long balls, which they were desperate to avoid. Relentless pressing is the In thing in football at the moment. Barcelona are the masters obviously, combining intense harrying of the opposition with blistering pace in attack. The pretenders to the crown are Tottenham, with Scott Parker leading the show. Now, I'm not saying we have the ability, discipline or fitness to implement anything like that level of pressure for 90 minutes. But it's something we should certainly look to emulate. 
• McSheffrey's finish was one of real class, and for him to be able to get over that ball and not balloon it out of the stadium is another indication that he might just be coming into a little bit of form. 
• With Jutkiewicz missing, we were left with Royston O'Donovan as the muscle up front. Poor Roy isn't really up to it, but he works immensely hard, and the man understands tactics. He messed up his chances, but his work-rate and commitment to occupying the Southampton line was admirable, and actually provided an effective foil for McSheffrey. Unfortunately, he could only last an hour, and the introduction of young Shaun Jeffers was the turning point as we lost that understanding up front. He wasn't able to get his back in and hold the ball, and his positioning was wayward, leaving very little options for our midfield to work off. I'm not going to criticise either of these players though, as Thorn hasn't got any other options at the moment. They gave it a shot.
• Gael is suffering a crisis in confidence at the moment. He seems a little confused and appears to be juggling instructions from all angles while he's on the pitch. He had one of those nightmare first halves, but improved in the second before he was replaced. Another example of a player who could do with a bit of time out, but we simply don't have the options, so he's going to have to push through. It's been a tough intro to life in the first team for him, but I've no doubt he'll come good eventually. That might not be as quick as we'd like with Steve Harrison as his coach, mind.
• Having previously been touted as the 'complete player' by McSheffrey, Richard Keogh made more mistakes in this match than he has made in the entire season so far. Very unlike him, but I think we can afford him one game.
• And finally, the 1987 replica kit looked particularly attractive, even if it did make Conor Thomas look like a completely different human being.

So that was my take on Protest Saturday. It's never great being knocked out of the FA Cup so early, but there's no time for moping, and this season more than ever, it really doesn't concern me. My only focus is on our upcoming trip to the annoyingly decent Derby County, which we could desperately do with winning. The protest was an impressive show of unity, which I hope we can now take inside Pride Park this weekend and do what we do best: all sing together.

Back to it.

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Having thought it over, I've decided that I'll be going to the match on Saturday.

I love football, you see. Contrary to some of the mucky words I've used to describe them over the years, I'm fairly keen on Coventry City too. I've thought about the complexities and annoyances behind the scenes and whether it's my 'duty as a fan' to get involved, but my mind keeps wandering back to the football. I still want to be inside the ground on matchday watching our own unique brand of the beautiful game, and Andy Thorn rouge-ing up right nice on the sidelines.

It's all I ever go to football games for. I rarely have a pint, I'm not particularly interested in 'banter' with opposing fans, and you certainly won't find me clapping the attendances or joining in with a Mexican wave. I'm a boring bastard and I'll happily admit it. I sit there counting the minutes before David Bell gets a touch of the ball. It's not exciting, but it's what I do.

I fully respect everyone who chooses to protest though. The chants and banners during the games up to now haven't really caught the imagination within the ground, so for those who do want to be even more visible and vocal in their opposition to SISU, that's entirely fair, admirable and most certainly their perogative. I think the majority are behind the sentiment, regardless of how they choose to display it; whether that's banners, avoiding games, protests outside, or words online.

As fans, we're always going to disagree amongst ourselves about players, formations and certainly with the idea of what makes a 'good' fan. While half the stadium boos, the other half shake their head in disgust. Some think that constant encouragement is the way to get the best out of the team - others think that sort of culture contributes to low standards.

There are even people out there who still class tip-tap-tappy-niggly-kick midfielder Michael Doyle as a tough-tackler. But anyway, I digress. 

I think in the case of the boycott/protest, or whatever your perspective of what is happening on Saturday, I hope we're at least able to remember one thing: We're all Coventry City fans, and whether you're inside or outside of the Ricoh come 3pm, or at home, everyone has the right to follow the team in the way that feels right to them and they're comfortable with. There should be no guilt for turning up, nor any animosity towards those who have stayed away.

Interesting things are happening behind the scenes at the moment regardless of the protests, so I hope that everyone is able to get their point across in a civilised way and keep things focused on the main messages of the day. 

Anyway, those are some of my views. Good luck to those involved, hope it goes well, and that things change for the better soon. I think they will, (although ten days was a little naive, Richard). 

Save Our City

I'm sure everyone's seen this already, but the Save Our City campaign is online in a few locations and I'd like to do my bit in promoting it, because I'm all kind like that:

• Save Our City website (www.save-our-city.com)
• Save Our City Twitter (@save_our_city, hashtag #saveourcity) 

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2011 was a right a bugger of a year. Huge bugger. Tremendous bugger. Oh what a bugger.

We've watched our club undergo a cataclysmic change in fortune - from play-off places to the verge of relegation and financial oblivion. People have come and gone. Adrian, Raymond, Leonard, Kenneth, Marlon, Keiren. The squad decimated, many scarpering as soon as they got the chance.

A few weeks back, things hit rock bottom as we sunk to the bottom of the Championship. We couldn't buy a win, and even taking the constraints he's working under, the overriding good will and understanding towards new boss Andy Thorn appeared to be waining, and people started to swear at him far more than they ever did before.

Things may just be looking up though. Back to back wins to finish the year have brought us off the bottom, and back with a fighting chance*.

News of a takeover bid continues to rumble along, but the noises are positive.

While he's no longer immune from criticism, Thorn still remains popular, with support continuing to eminate from the stands and pushing the team on.

The year has left us in a terrible position. We've a massive effort ahead of us, but these wins and prospect of new owners have us moving into 2012 with at least a glimmer of hope. I think that's all any of us really wanted.

*Yes I know, having lost to West Ham after this was published, we're back bottom again.

The winners

So, after much deliberation (about 24 minutes), the results of the Sky Blues Blog Awards 2011 are in.

These awards recognise those who have had an impact on our club over the past 12 months. The good, the bad, and the plain mad.

Please show your appreciation for the following "winners" - they are most deserving.

The Mo Konjic award for outstanding lunacy: Richard Keogh

He started 2011 in my bad books for being responsible for a whole load of goals on account of his inherent madness. Since his move into the middle of the defence, he's won me over. I'm sorry for ever calling you a jelly-legged wally, Rich.

He'll still have the occassional Mo Konjic drive forward, but has learnt to pick his moment, as well as find a pass at the end of it, even if it is one backwards. This is a welcome change to his previous 40 yard runs, which would often culminate in a realisation that he was massively out of position, borderline panic attack, followed by a tame pass to the oppposition and a giant gap for them to take advantage of.  

The man has become a machine though, throwing himself into every tackle as if it's his last, galloping across the defensive line like a Black Beauty/Spongebob hybrid, and performing some of the most elaborate dives you ever will see. Has been tremendous since Thorn took over. What a guy.

The Craig Bellamy award for being a git:  Marlon King

I don't think we'll ever know the full truth about what was said, and what he was supposed to have agreed to. What you can see however, is that Marlon King couldn't really care less what people think of him. We were daft for ever thinking he'd want to stay. Well deserved.

The Michael Doyle award for making it look like you try really hard: Aron Gunnarsson

Aron was the prince of PR. He knew how to work the crowd. Whether it was a token lunge at a player who had already beaten him, a punch of the chest when he scored, or staying out the longest to clap the JSB's after the game. 

That's all very nice, but I wish he'd spent more time *actually* trying hard, rather than worrying about creating the illusion of doing so.

The Onye Igwe award for being a dipstick: Onye Igwe

I'm sure Onye is a nice enough man. He's the decision maker and brains behind what SISU do however. He and Raymond didn't see eye-to-eye, and having listened to his interviews and heard him talk 'football' in person, I'm far from convinced. No matter what his qualifications and expertise in the business and finance world, the guy don't know football. Or football club management, for that matter.

The Clarrie Bourton award for goalscoring: Lukas Jutkiewicz

We don't score too many. Lukeyjuke has continued to grab the goals in a struggling team though, and for that I salute him. The only other contender was Marlon, but given the players he had around him, and the fact that he's also a giant swine, you can't really compare the two. Good job, Lukas. Do stay.

The Chris Coleman award for being fancied by men: Carl Baker

It's been a topsy turvy year for Carl. Some impressive performances, scattered amongst countless shockers. He's capable of good games, but given his stick insect frame and the general level he's played at during his career, there's no real getting away from the fact that he simply won't be able to do it week in week out.

I still find myself swooning over his niceness though. A memorable moment was as he stepped off the coach at Doncaster, and even though his form was despicable at the time, I found myself uttering the words "Alright Carl, Howdo man!" with such gusto and excitement.

I've never said Howdo in my life. I was a little scared by this. What an impact this fundamentally likeable chap had on me.

The Cobi Jones award for best haircut: Gael Bigirimana

Marvellous effort on the flicky fluffy spikey hair, Gael. A lot of time appears to have gone into that. As everyone's favourite fisherman Paul Gascoigne used to say: If you look neat and tidy, you'll feel neat and tidy, and play neat and tidy.

The Darren Huckerby award for best goal: Gary McSheffrey v Burnley

A fairly easy decision this one. I can only think of 5 half-decent goals, and McSheffrey scored 3 of them (one being his goal against Brighton). Honourable mention to Sammy for his cracking strike against Doncaster, and Carl Baker's FA Cup goal at the beginnng of the year was also mighty sweet.

McSheffrey's jinky/floaty effort away at Burnley signalled the arrival of Andy Thorn and his more attractive approach to the game. He's not had a very good year at all, but when it comes to providing moments of quality, McSheffrey still more than capable.

The Roland Nilsson award for being a class act: Martin Cranie

Nudey party photos aside, the man oozes class. Glides along the back line, mopping up any nonsense from the midfielders, only in a less noticeable fashion than SpongeBob Keoghpants. 

The most useless moment of the year award sponsored by Paul Trollope: Michael McIndoe

He didn't get much of a look-in during 2011, but he was still able to provide us with this moment of ultimate uselessness.

Picture the scene - Mr McIndoe, having found himself cast aside by Aidy Boothroyd, was given a second chance by caretaker boss Thorn. This was his moment to impress.

Working for possession on the touchline in front of his new manager, he managed to get his foot to the ball first and flick it above the opposing player and into open space. "Brilliant Michael!" screamed Thorn.

This was it. The moment all left wingers dream of. Open space in front of them. Giggs would have flown. Bale would have lapped it up.

Michael McIndoe, shat himself. The pressure of a defender no less than 8 yards away was too great, and he smashed the ball back over his head and out of play.

A professional footballer everyone.

Bloody hell fire.

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Word on the Twitter streets this evening is that Gary Gardner has made an earlier than expected return to Villa. 

Hearing from the Coventry end that Gary Gardner has returned to Villa from his loan spell, but not been confirmed yet #avfc #ccfc

— Mat Kendrick (@MatKendrick) December 20, 2011

Most Coventry City rumours on Twitter arise from Stuart Linnell misinterpreting a joke as fact and claiming to have heard it from an inside source. This one came from Birmingham Mail's Aston Villa reporter Mat Kendrick though, so the worrying thing there is that he's far more bloody reliable.

Really bad news for us if he has disappeared. With Sammy out for a while longer, Gary was maintaining a real assurance in the middle of the park. Admittedly, we were being forced to utilise him in a slightly different way to how we would have if Clingan was around, but having him in the team is far better than not. Bloody hell fire.

There's a frantic scramble of people trying to find out from 'Gards' himself whether this is true, but I suspect he's playing on his Playstation or something.

Here's hoping it's Kenneth playing a final prank on us all before he leaves. It doesn't sound good though.

Additional: 01:09 - 21/12/11

Coventrycity-mad have now suggested that Gardner was always due to return this week, as he was on a 28-day loan.

This confuses things slightly, as the official Aston Villa website announced that it would be until January 3rd 2012

Let's see what the morning brings.

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Look at that face. Who could be mad at him? All relaxed in his jumper.

There's no denying the mitigating circumstances. There's no denying the endless nonsense we have to put up with from those in charge. There's no denying that no matter how bad we've been this season, we've also fallen on the harsh side of a lot of luck. 

But is that enough to keep Thorn from blame?

Has Andy Thorn's own performance contributed to our demise? Is he doing the best job possible with the players he has? Or has he just been incredibly unlucky? 

The mixed perspectives continue to divide the fans. We're all pretty united in our condemnation of the squad he's been left to work with, and apparent lack of backing from those darn management types. A supportive "Andy Thorn" chant will still, even now, get an outing at most games.

Yet, online, it's a different story. You only have to look at the message boards, and they're awash with criticism focused heavily at our crimson-faced leader.

Now seems like a good point to ask this question. I realise there have been similar polls recently, but as I have a far smaller readership, I'd quite like to gather your thoughts away from the hustle and bustle of the big sites.

In the interest of forcing an opinion, I shan't make it any more complex than a simple yes/no. If you have a view either way, do vote. I'm genuinely interested in what you're all thinking.

(Fantastic photo from the Coventry Telegraph. Please don't batter me.)

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Interesting noises from Twitter this evening. According to Richard Keys, something with Hoffman should be on the cards in the next ten days.

@MrBluesky1883 keep the faith guys. Give us 10 days - and if nothing happens then we'll go VERY public.

— Richard Keys (@TSKeysandGray) December 13, 2011

Heaven only knows what he means by "VERY" public. Remember, we heard messages like this all summer, so I'll believe it when I see it. 

A little hope would go down mighty nicely this Christmas though. Whoever gets Hoffman in the secret santa, don't forget the headed paper.

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"In a minute, Dierdre. I'm watching the soccer."

Hull this week, and yes, we lost again. Corr we were unlucky, it's not what we're about, but we'll go again, etc. If anyone has any bright ideas as to how we're going to stop this horrid run, answers on a postcard. It's not even the New Year, yet the feeling of dejection and resignation from fans and most worryingly, the players, is something I've not encountered since... well, since March actually. Not a completely unfamiliar feeling, but to have given up before Christmas? That is new.  

Thoughts after the game were focused (not unsurprisingly) on the sight of former chairman Ken Dulieu sat on our bench, running his expert eye over proceedings. 

Kenneth's latest position is "Head of Soccer", as described by a blithering John Clarke before the game. Football, soccer, or whatever the hell it is we're currently failing at - Mr Dulieu really has no place being on that bench, regardless of the meaningless job title we have bestowed upon him this week.

I'm staggered at what I can only presume is yet another attempt at positive PR from the suits. This isn't a case of anything the owners do being the wrong thing, simply because 'the fans hate them'. I'm sure that's what they'll make of the situation when they assess it this week. But right now, back on earth, Ken Dulieu making an appearance on the bench is wrong, because it is wrong. Nothing more complex - it's unworkable having any senior member of the management team looming over a football manager while he's trying to work.

Even the mainstream media picked up on this. Manish and Steve found time to have a little chat about it on the Football League show and were equally bemused. Most with any sort of affinity with the game of football, could see the immediate problem too. Watching Andy having to squirm his way out of questioning made for particularly uncomfortable viewing. His position was undermined in the most public way possible, and no matter what you think of his current performance, you must feel sorry for him having to bite his tongue and justify it on their behalf. 

This situation was caused by the same group of football brains who thought we'd be delirious when they offered the entire squad new contracts, in an attempt to dilute our crossness at the best players leaving for nothing. Yes, we were (and still are) annoyed about that, but to remedy it by offering the rest of the team new contracts? Wow.

In the same vein, it feels like someone in charge thought that having Ken sat on the bench would demonstrate his new-found focus on improving the footballing fortunes to all us idiot fans. I really can't recall seeing anything like it before, with the exception of Sam Hammam who used to do whatever the hell he liked. We expected it of Sam though, who was, in the nicest possible sense of the word, a lunatic.

Is this really the time to be rocking the boat and trying the absurd? I've tried to understand their angle and reasoning, but I'm afraid I can't. It was never going to go down well, especially in a stadium that included a collection of "Sisu out" bed-sheets.

Yet, I can just imagine the board meeting this week, as the group dreamed up more methods of getting the fans back on board, and one bright spark (probably Onye) piped up: "Hey, Ken, why don't you go and sit with Andy this week? That'll show that we're serious about you committing your time to the football".

Forget the fact that nobody has a clue what tasks Ken is supposed to be performing in this new role.

Forget that Kenneth has absolutely no experience which qualifies him to be sat on the bench. Within the matchday arena, even the kit-man gets dibs on a seat before he does.

Forget that we've been sinking for months, and one loan player aside, the intent to address this can be rounded into nothing more than a few token statements.

And finally, forgetting that having the manager's boss sat on the bench looking over him during a game, is like having the examiner's inspector sitting in the car on your driving test. If you didn't know, it's bloody horrible. It happened to me on my first test and long-story short, I stalled at the first junction and almost ran over an elderly lady with a blue rinse.

Now, luckily for Ken, Phyllis from Coronation Street was not there on Saturday. I'm sure the scenario translates in the football arena though, and I think most would agree that it can't be positively. It may not have had a bearing on the result, but will it have helped the matchday collective (managers, coaches and players) perform their tasks any better? 

Not a chance. He's a businessman. Businessmen belong upstairs, eating their free bread and butter pudding.

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Still struggling for any new words at the minute. I'm loathed to spend too much of my time going over old ground. We're the softest touch in the league, and everyone is desperately scrambling around to attribute blame, as well as trying to figure out what (if anything) can be done to fix it.

The pattern of the game on Saturday was once again all too familiar. Thorn said afterwards how we rarely get tonked, and are always in games for the most part. We may not be hammered on the pitch as often as our league position would suggest, but mentally, we take a right beating every week.

A few thoughts:

Joe Murphy is not Keiren Westwood. He is an average goalkeeper, who will make mistakes, and will not make anything other than the expected saves. He'll even mess those up far more than Keiren did. In his defence, the penalty on Saturday was a nonsense decision, but that can't hide the fact that he's been responsible for a significant number of goals this year. I'm not blaming the man particularly; that's just his level. He let in close to 80 goals for Scunthorpe last year if I remember rightly - a better keeper wouldn't have.

Sammy Clingan hasn't been in the best of form over the last few games, but the suggestion that we would be a better team without him in it, is an absurd one. Regardless of his recent form, he is still one of our most consistent performers. Of course we expect certain standards and I think we all realise he has fallen below those just lately. Alternative options are sparse though, and I see no credible replacements for him if we were to rotate. Deegan, Thomas, Bigirimana, Gardner? None of them have the attributes to play that role.

Steve Harrison has also found himself in line for some grief, as people start to notice a common figure during the club's inability to hold onto points over the last couple of years. I noted my reservations about him earlier in the year as we were playing hideously under Boothroyd. We've lost points in an obscene number of games since he's been here - his contribution has to be assessed. He seems a lovely chap, and I appreciate the sun-tinted specked eyebrow-raise he gives at away games. I don't appreciate the quality of play that he's developed however. There seems to be an overarching philosophy coming from Thorn, but it's not something we're able to implement with any sort of success or conviction. From overall shape and tactics, to individual attributes and the absolute basics - he's overseen a horrid decline in standards during his time here. They are professional footballers, most of whom have been part of capable teams in the past. Yes, options when things aren't going well would help massively, but something's going mighty wrong on the training ground when five yard passes are proving troublesome.

If you need evidence of just how sloppy we are (how could you forget?), do take a look at our defensive work on Saturday. C'est downright bloody useless.

Watch Portsmouth v Coventry highlights on the BBC Website (PC only - soz)

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Ah marvellous. Ta, calendar people.

Just what I wanted to cheer me up this Christmas. A month of Boothroyd and his inane chirpy grin.

Don't you mock me, Adrian. You started all this. You told me it was all going to be okay.

5th place going into Christmas. How the bloody hell did you manage to mess that up?

There's only one thing you can do at times like this, I guess.

Weep.

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Turns out that wasn't too testing. A very respectable 65 people (almost as many as the shampoo adverts) had a vote on my impromptu poll yesterday, and half of those reckon that new boy Gary Gardner is the man for the gig at the point of our diamond.

1. Gary Gardner - 50%
2. Sod the diamond - 14%
3. Gael Bigirimana - 11%
4. Gary McSheffrey - 11%
5. Carl Baker - 9%
6. David Bell - 3%
7. None of these - 2%

I can't say that I'm surprised. Given how highly the Villa fans seem to rate him and how it looks like we'll only have him for the month, it'd seem most want to give him the freedom behind the forwards during his time here. 

He was my vote too. We're still struggling to create many genuine chances, and as simple as it sounds, giving him the license to get close to goal as much as possible could well be the best plan of action. We all saw how well he drove into the box for those headers on Saturday, and we could do with encouraging that side of his game - he looked mighty good at it.

That well-known midfielder "Sod the diamond" came in a strong second. As I said, I don't personally feel the shape of the side is the main problem, or a change of formation will make all our troubles go away. I see more individual mistakes and problems with core skills (control, passing, tackling) than anything else. Would Sammy have kept the ball better on Saturday if we were playing 4-4-2? Not really. Appears there's a fair number who feel otherwise, and that's just fine. Unless you think we should play wing-backs (I'm looking at you, Eakin), in which case - you're bonkers. Cyrus struggles enough as it is with the physical requirements for full-back - lord only knows what responsibility for the entire right-hand side would do to him.

A surprise was Biggy. I do think the logic of "get him closer to goal" is one that could also be applied to Gael. He's still learning his trade, and given his size, you'd think we'd have more joy involving him in the attacking side of the game, than asking him to mix it in the midfield. I remember Faubert in the West Ham game swatting him aside every time he got close, and I wasn't keen.

That said, he hasn't had the best time of it attacking recently either, and against Cardiff in particular, he often found himself with the ball around the box, only to get the jelly legs. He is good though - corr, he can be good - and he's an option Thorn hasn't really considered yet.

McSheffrey was joint with Biggy, which is understandable given that's the only position he's played this season. Problem is, he has been bloody awful for most of it. The argument I'm starting to hear a lot is that even if he's not playing well, he's still likely to do something.

How useful. You could put me on the pitch and I too may do something. My groin, most probably, but still.

Excuse the flippant tone, as I do appreciate the sentiment. I just wonder with Macca how many games of him going missing we actually have to put up with before we can expect him to play half-way decent again.

The other members of the trio of disappointment - Baker and Bell - found themselves lagging behind the rest. They fall into the same camp as McSheffrey, in that they are always likely to do something wonderful (Bell's goal against Watford, anyone?), but is it really worth sacrificing a place in the team for, on the off-chance that they might come to life at some point?

One name I was asked why I didn't include was Conor Thomas. Yes, he's played there already this season, but I've seen most of his work take place in the engine room with Sammy, and I took the executive decision to exclude him from this particular poll. I know - what a swine.

Anyway, the conclusion seems to be that most want Gardner playing further forward - while a few are still cross with the formation and want to sack that off. Not entirely brand new information, but it's nice to confirm it. The very warmest of regards to everyone who gave their opinion. You're kind.

Next week's poll: Should Andy Thorn just get it over with and have a bloody good cough?

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